This year we did leave at 11am! It was a cold morning, but pleasant none-the-less. The roads, although a little slippy, were not dangerous and we made good progress along the back roads.
Half way to the pub we pulled over into a lay-by. Brian had prepared some mulled wine and we supped the hot drink gratefully. It was colder than it looked and our fingers and toes were cold!
We got to the Two Boats Inn and settled in front of their roaring fire, ordering tasty snacks and meals.
It was a really great way to clear your head after Christmas and the New Year revelries.

A freezing cold Wednesday evening 1st Feb saw 4 nail hard bikers and 3 softies in a car head off to pay a our first official branch visit to the recently formed Lincs branch, Brian D, John C with George & Sandy on the bikes and Sue, Dan & Penfold taking the car.
A warm welcome was offered on arrival by Roy Edwards and Chris (Biggles), the only local member on a bike..... at thier very nice and cosy little pub at Bottesford, quick intros to the other 4 Lincs members there and a very welcome hot coffee and Cognac or two soon got the blood flowing back to the parts that count.
So a pleasant evening was had by all and we will certainly make a date to return some time when the temperatures are a bit more biker friendly.
  Bri

The forecast for the day was bleak, with snow and a cold wind on the cards, however the morning was clear and dry, so had the forecasters got it wrong again? 6 brave souls departed for Grantham Honda at 11 o'clock from the 10 o'clock, still optimistic that it might not be that cold.
Boy, how wrong we were, it was freezing!
Our scenic route was via Market Harborough to an unscheduled stop at a snowy Melton Mowbray due to my hands and forearms being so cold. We had passed a couple of pubs and I was being seduced by thoughts of a roaring open fire and good old fashioned pub grub and suggested that we could knock the ride on the head due to the weather conditions. However, being 'hard core' bikers, we pushed on to Grantham where we were met by Roy and much needed warm drinks. Sadly, there was no food available, so some of us stopped off on the way home at a 'Little Thief' on the A1 for the all day breakfast. I had previously thought that highway robbery on the 'great road to the north' was something out of the history books, however, I am having second thoughts now. All in all a good, but very cold day out.
  Penfold